Ships depart from Greece to join Global Sumud Fleet for Gaza

Oksigono consists entirely of Greek crew while Ilektra includes volunteers from Greece and other countries

Ships from Greece set sail Sunday from the port on Syros island to join the Global Sumud Fleet for Gaza, a large-scale international flotilla of civilian boats aiming to break Israel's blockade on the territory and deliver humanitarian aid. The Oksigono consists entirely of a Greek crew while the Ilektra is carrying volunteers from Greece and other countries. Support events were held all day throughout the island, with hundreds of people gathering at the port to boost the crews’ morale. As the ships departed, the crowd waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans such as “Freedom for Gaza,” “Resistance will win” and “Down with Israel.” Officials from March to Gaza Greece, a pro-Palestinian movement that coordinates solidarity actions in the country, emphasized that the goal of the Greek ships is to help break Israel’s blockade on Gaza, mobilize the international community and contribute to the establishment of a safe corridor for delivering humanitarian aid to Gaza. It was noted that the fleet sends a strong message of solidarity to the global public by drawing attention to the humanitarian catastrophe in the enclave. The Global Sumud Flotilla began assembling last month, with ships departing from Barcelona, Spain, and Genoa, Italy. Organizers described the mission as unprecedented, contrasting it with previous attempts involving single boats that were intercepted by Israel and their passengers deported. This convoy is the largest of its kind, aiming to challenge the blockade and deliver humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, where famine conditions have taken hold under Israel’s months-long closure of all crossings. The Israeli army has killed nearly 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them women and children, since October 2023. The relentless bombardment has rendered the enclave uninhabitable and led to starvation and the spread of diseases.